Blind setting rivets are usually set in a work piece using a rivet setting tool or device which may be pneumatically, electrically, or hydraulically powered. Blind setting rivets typically include a hollow rivet body and a mandrel disposed longitudinally within the hollow rivet body. The mandrel includes a shank terminating in a head for radially compressing and spreading the rivet body as the mandrel is retracted rearward relative to the rivet body. The shank includes an area of reduced diameter for allowing the head to detach from the shank upon application of predetermined tensile force applied to the shank. To set a blind setting rivet, the shank of the rivet mandrel is inserted into the rivet setting tool. The tubular portion of the hollow rivet body is inserted though a hole formed in the workpiece and the rivet setting device is activated, retracting the shank rearward relative to the rivet body causing the head to compress and spread the rivet body to set the rivet. The shank then separates from the head at the area of reduced diameter and is discarded.
Self-tapping, blind setting rivets, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,741,099, 5,762,456, 5,915,901 and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/050,084, include a self-tapping head that taps a hole in the work piece. In this manner, a separate hole-drilling step may be eliminated when applying the rivet. However, because conventional rivet setting tools do not rotate the mandrel of the rivet, application of such self-tapping rivets currently requires the use of a drill for rotating the rivet mandrel to tap a hole in the workpiece. The rivet setting device may then be used setting the rivet in the work piece and detaching the shank from the rivet. This use of two separate tools slows application of the rivets, reducing their advantage over non-tapping varieties.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide a rivet setting device suitable for setting self-tapping rivets. The rivet setting device should be capable of gripping and turning the mandrel of the rivet in order to turn the self-tapping head of the rivet for tapping a hole in the workpiece